STARS AFTER THE STORM

1. SHRIEKING SILENCES

Arnav paced in his room frustrated, SHE never seemed to leave his thoughts. She was not talking to him after their fight and now she had apparently gone missing. Her absence, her silence shouldn't be bothering him so much he scolded himself mentally but it was as if his heart seemed to have not heard his not so gentle reminders. He strode down the stairs for the nth time promising himself that it would be the last time he'd go looking for her only to return back to his room not finding her anywhere.

As he entered his room, his irritation was fueled by the CREEP who he'd been forced to called brother-in-law.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" he shouted holding Shyam by the collar. Shyam who had come to Arnav's room in search of 'the will' added gasoline to ASR's rage saying "Saale saaheb , why are you getting angry ? I only came in search of Khushiji" trying to free himself from Arnav's iron hold .

Arnav's anger reached its threshold on hearing Khushi's name uttered out from the filth's mouth. Not wanting to bear the vile snake of a man anymore Arnav shoved Shyam outside the door and closed it shut with a loud thud. He closed his eyes in anger or hurt which he couldn't tell . His blood boiled in rage .The terrace scene replayed in his mind. "Then Why don't you leave Anjaliji " her words reverberated for the millionth time. She had betrayed him .She had betrayed his sister. She had betrayed his family. But what angered him more was how she still managed to occupy his thought , how she still managed to have an effect on him .But now , he had enough. It was time to show her who ASR was. Khushi Kumari Gupta be ready to face hell he thought.

Shyam's purpose of visit to Arnav's room hadn't been fulfilled . But the fact that at least he'd managed to keep the Fire against Khushiji burning brought him huge satisfaction. He left to his room smirking.
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Khushi took one last glance at the sky. The sky had more clouds than her liking. She laughed at her fate. The clouds had chosen the eve of her parents' death anniversary to occupy the sky. Even the terrace hadn't done enough justice to the two stars she'd claimed to be her parents.

Disappointed she decided to go back to her ' strike that' his room. " Khushi , what are you doing? Don't think about that Laad Governor . You need to avoid him remember and more over your thoughts should be on Amma Babuji . Thinking of him will only spoil your mood " She scolded herself.

Little did Khushi know that HELL was waiting for her.

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Payal was in the kitchen making ginger tea for Khushi . The events that happened in the past few days had tired her as it had tired the rest of the family. So much had happened in such little span of time.

She'd always known Khushi had a thing for Arnav. Her sister's endless banters on a Laad Governor had raised doubts. The doubts grew stronger around Diwali and were confirmed during her pre-wedding rituals. She had shipped them as much as Nani and Di. But, she least expected them to get married the day of her own wedding.

But that was a few weeks before, now she had come in terms of their surprise wedding like every other member of Shantivan.

Payal also knew the Quality time she'd spent with Khushi had drastically decreased in these past few days. But tonight she needed to be with Khushi . Afterall it was Khushi's parents' death anniversary the next day and she knew what her presence and her special ginger tea would mean to Khushi. She had asked Aakash about this he had happily obliged slightly scolding his wife that she needn't ask his permission to spend time with her sister.